Avenging the Sith
by lexophile42
Summary: A new begining. 100 years after the fall of the Emperor. There is a new Council in place and order has been restored to the Republic. Or has it? Death and deception is what it's all about now.
1. Prologue

**Avenging the Sith- Prologue**

**100 years after Star Wars ep. 6**

**A new generation- the begining of a series written by me!**

_I am L'anyn Oumarin..._

She ducked into the shadows behind one of the Council member's seats, knowing that she had no need to shield herself being she was already invisible in the ethereal realm that the Force guided its Jedi through. She watched as the Jedi apprentice, _her _apprentice, Sanreth Hargine, crossed the floor and stood at the center of the chamber, obioucly waiting for the Council to arrive for his trial. He fidgeted with the lightsaber that hung from his belt, running a quivering forefinger over the switch that would extend the lethal blade with just a flick. He was nervous.

She stepped slowly between shadows, situating herself for the perfect moment of attack. This youngling, at the ripe age of seventeen, had double crossed her and attempted to turn her into the Jedi Council as a disguised Sith. She'd lost the trust of Master Burke and had been shunned from the Council. Her master had been so very disappointed in her. However, she had earned back Master Burke's trust and secured herself a new apprentice after her failure with young Sanreth. Her new pupil was ruthless and fearless and was driven by a tortured and shameful past. He was the one thing she needed in order to maintain her place in the universe.

She sprang, her twin blades of red light extending to their full length at the touch of a button. She sank the beams of pure crimson energy into Sanreth Hargine's stomach mercilessly and whispered harshly in his ear.

"Your meeting with the Council has been canceled, young padawan of mine."

He groaned and fell to the floor.

_I am L'anyn Oumarin... and I rule the Universe._

--

A/N: Y'all excited?! I am... are you?! R&R as always! --lexx


	2. Ready Are You Not

**_Chapter One-Ready Are You Not_**

"Master Burke, I am ready to take the Council's test," Ira said indignantly, turning to face the aging master, "I know the Council thinks I'm unfit, and that I'm not trustworthy or reliable since Master Vorschen passed, but I _am_ ready. I _know_ I am."

"Prepared are you not, young one," the master replied, his eyes closed serenly, "Because of this, a new master have I selected for you."

"But--"

"Meet her today you will," Master Burke told him firmly, opening his calm brown eyes finally to meet Ira's piercing green ones, "About this will there be no 'buts'."

"Wait... _her_, master?" the apprentice raised an eyebrow and cocked his head to the side slightly.

"Yes. Learning from Jedi Master Lady L'anyn Oumarin will you be."

"_The_ Lady L'anyn Oumarin?" Ira's eyes grew wide with both fear and excitement.

"Master Burke," a blue hologram of a young Twi'lek appeared at the center of the table between the two lily pad-like cushions that seated Ira and Master Burke, "The Lady Oumarin has arrived, sir. Shall I send her in?"

"Thank you, Allyah," the Jedi Master stood up slowly from his seat and leaned on his ornately carved walking staff, "In will you send her, please?"

"Yes, sir," replied the Twi'lek, who then vanished from the table.

The doors behind them purred mechanically and slid into the wall, revealing a young red-haired woman. She bowed slightly to Master Burke and stepped into the chamber, smiling peacefully.

"Master Burke, it has been too long," she said almost wistfully as she crouched down to give the small greenish Jedi a warm hug, "Thank you so much, sir, for allowing me this chance to fully redeem myself."

"Welcome you are," he replied, patting her on the shoulder before she stood back up, "Your apprentice you must meet. Ira his name is. Master Vorschen's latest padawan was he."

Ira rose on shaky legs, unsure of himself. He did not know what to expect from such a Jedi as the Lady Oumarin. She was not only descended from Princess Leia Oragana and the rogue Han Solo, but also from the less than honorable bounty hunter Boba Fett and one of Jabba the Hutt's dancers. Lady Oumarin was known to have a short temper and a firm belief in the ways of the Force. She'd been removed from the Council after her former padawan had turned her in as a disguised Sith, which she denied wholeheartedly. She seemed unpredictable at times, and was often looked as an outsider within the temple. Ira found himself suddenly terrified.

"Ira Solaris... hmm. I had imagined you as being perhaps a bit younger," L'anyn held out a gentle hand and smiled warmly at her new apprentice.

Ira took her hand and shook it quickly, hoping that she wouldn't notice how sweaty his palms had become.

"Age matters not, Lady Oumarin," Master Burke reminded her placidly, "Your own training must you remember. Much too old for apprenticeship were you, but Master Vorschen- to train you wanted he, and with young Ira the same it was."

"Yes, Master Burke," L'anyn grinned sparklingly, "On that note, Ira, I am L'anyn Oumarin, your mentor until I find you fit for the Council's test."

"Th-that sounds good," Ira stuttered, returning a grin to the Lady. He felt something make contact with the back of his head- something moving very fast and made of ornately carved wood. He stumbled forward a bit, running into Lady Oumarin. He looked up, wide-eyed, "I-I'm so sorry, m'lady."

"Clean will be your thoughts of the Lady Oumarin, young one!" scolded Master Burke, shaking his wooden staff at the nineteen year-old boy.

"Y-yes, master," Ira rubbed the back of his head and stood up to his full height. He found himself standing nearly a full foot taller than his new mentor, "M-my appologies, m'lady."

L'anyn giggled and covered her laughing smile with a delicate hand. She took a deep breath and rested her hands on her hips, "So, my young apprentcie, shall we give Master Burke some time to meditate while you and I get to know each other a bit better?"

Ira nodded, fearing what might come out if he chose to speak.

"Master Burke, it's been a pleasure as always," L'anyn knelt down again to give the master another hug, "I'll go take young Ira to the training chamber and we'll see just how much he knows."

"Good that idea is, Lady L'anyn," he replied and returned to his lily pad cushion, "Soon will I see you, Ira Solaris."

"Good bye, Master Burke," Ira bowed politely and followed his mentor out of the chamber.

--

A/N: R&R as per usual. --lexx


	3. Lesson Number One

**_Chapter Two- Lesson Number One_**

* * *

"M-master L'anyn, if you don't mind my asking," Ira spoke unsurely, as though he might offend his new mentor with the wrong words, "H-how did you know Master Vorschen? Master Burke said you were one of his apprentices, but Master Vorschen didn't speak of you like an apprentice."

"I'm surprised he spoke of me at all," L'anyn laughed as she touched the panel outside the training chamber which caused the door to slide open. She stepped in and beckoned Ira in after her. "I wasn't exactly his best pupil. I was stubborn and I wouldn't always listen to him. He often told me it was a miracle the Council hadn't forbade him from teaching me, because surely they'd noticed something about me. However, no one sensed anything negative about me when I was brought before them. Even Master Burke said I seemed invisible to them and that my future was completely unknowable."

"Invisible, huh?" Ira thought a moment, "That seems so impossible."

"L'anyn closed the door and walked to the center of the room, "Ira, I want you to close your eyes and tell me whay you see."

"What I see?" he asked, closing his eyes hesitantly, "My eyes are closed. I can't see anything."

"Use the Force, Ira," she reminded him chidingly, "What do you _sense_ with the Force?"

"I can sense the room, I can sense... myself, the remotes, the practice blades... but, Master, I can't sense you at all," he opened his eyes again to make sure L'anyn was still standing before him, "It's like you're... invisible. Like you don't exist."

"Master Vorschen noticed it when he met me," she said, running her fingertips over a training remote pensively, "He couldn't sense me at all. I couldn't even use the Force then. I didn't know anything about it. I'd been brought up completely bling to my lineage and my abilities. But that's ancient history. What's important is here and now, correct?"

"Yes, Master," Ira nodded, stepping forward and lifting his lightsaber from his belt, "Where do we begin?"

"First things first, don't call me 'Master'. I can't stand that whole subitting to the domination of your mentor thing," L'anyn retrieved her own lightsaber and set the blue blade aglow, "And second, we'll see how well you fare against an invincible person."

"What shall I call you then?" he flicked the switch on the hilt of his saber, extending a green blade, "M'lady?"

"L'anyn will do fine," she waved her hand in front of him, setting the notion firmly in his mind.

"Yes... L'anyn," Ira smiled, taking his combat stance.

"Oh, Ira, one more thing," L'anyn lunged forward with a violent thrust, "Have at thee!"

He jumped back and parried the maneuver then returned with a downward slash that missed L'anyn by several inches.

"I can't see you!" he shouted in frustration after several unsuccessful blows.

"Your eyes are wide open, padawan," she told him matter-of-factly, retracting the cerulean blade and stepping back from her apprentice.

"But I can't _sense_ you at all," he groaned, putting away his saber, "I can't... I can't..."

"Perceive me," she finished for him, "Perceive is the word. Like I said, I'm invisible and invincible. I don't know how and I don't know why. I just know that I am."

"You're amazing."

"No. I'm L'anyn," she corrected him jokingly then closed her eyes lightly, "Although I'm sure the two seem very similar in many ways."

"Point taken, Mast-- L'anyn," he bit his lip, hoping she wouldn't notice his slip-up. He began fidgeting in the dead silence that had fallen upon the room. "Er... so..."

"Hold still," she instructed as she slowly began to open the doors to his mind, making sure to leave no trace of any intrusion. He seemed a tortured fellow, most likely shameful of his family and his own past. She stumbled upon a recent memory of his, lying just at the forefront of his mind.

_Running. He was running. He was running and he was scared_, that much she could sense easily. She probed further. There was fear and grief on his mind. It was the day of Master Vorschen's fall. She explored the memory, taking care not to give away her activites in the young Solaris' mind. She could see a hooded figure; a familiar hooded figure at taht. Red twin blades flashed through the memory, cutting down the wizened Master Vorschen. _No!_ She heard Ira's scream echoing through the ethereal.

Her eyes snapped open as did Ira's. L'anyn's mouth was open slightly and her throat was dry. She had to explain to her apprentice what she'd been doing. There had to be trust between them-- no secrets.

"Ira, I'm sorry to have intruded upon your memories," she said gently, "There are some things that are best left unsaid, and therefore must be explored at the appropriate time. I needed to know exactly what happened to Master Vorschen."

His jaw dropped. "_That's_ what you were doing?!"

"Yes. What else would I have been doing?" she asked, slightly puzzled.

"I don't know... I just couldn't sense... oh, right," he blushed and turned away from her, "I couldn't sense you. I thought you were simply meditating and my motion was disturbing you."

"There are some things that one learns to shut out when meditating, young padawan of mine," she sat down on the floor and crossed her legs, closing her eyes, "Motion is one of those things that a Jedi must learn to ignore while reflecting. We'll work on that next time. We're done for today."

"Y-yes, L'anyn," Ira was confused about where to go from there. He made a general motion toward the door, "Do you want me to--?"

"You may do as you like," L'anyn said, barely moving her lips while speaking, "I would like to see you this evening, however. We need to speak of things outside the temple. Meet me in here before dinner. Bring your traveling cloak."

"Yes, ma'am," he nodded and stepped quickly out of the room, curious about what the Lady Oumarin had in mind.

--

A/N: R&R... I always love a good review! --lexx


	4. Dinner and a Chat

**Chapter Three- Dinner and a Chat**

"L-lady L'anyn?" Ira stepped hesitantly into the darkened training room, "I'm here, M'lady."

A hand clapped down on his shoulder, scaring him nearly out of his skin. He dropped the heavy cloak he had in his hands as he jumped forward, away from the person behind him.

"Good evening, Ira," L'anyn said calmly, lifting a hand to bring up the lights, "I trust you have everything I requested you bring."

He bent down and picked up the dark brown cowl he'd dropped and held it out with a smile, "This is it, right?"

"Correct," she returned the grin and took a step toward the window at the far end of the room, "Now follow me."

Ira followed her to the floor-to-ceiling window and stood beside her, looking out at the city of Coruscant. L'anyn raised her hand to the glass and closed her eyes. The window pane collapsed into a small glowing ball resting in her palm. She tucked the ball into the pouch on her belt and stepped onto the sill. she saluted Ira then turned toward the city and leapt into the cool night air.

He jumped toward the sill and stared down at where L'anyn had fallen. He couldn't see her at all. Ira didn't know what to do. He didn't understand why his mentor had leapt from the window into the air traffic below them. Coruscant was a dangerous place to be when leaping from windows.

--

The wind whipped through her red hair as she free fell through the traffic of the city's higher levels. She could feel the air growing warmer and thicker with the exhaust from the thousands of speeders flying above and below her. She spread her arms out like wings and closed her eyes, trusting the Force to deliver her safely to her destination.

She reached out with the Force to find her ride. She found it after a moment: the speeder that she'd arranged to have waiting for her was waiting for her, just as she'd arranged. She landed lightly in the driver's seat and turned it on. She knew that Ira most likely wouldn't take the leap of faith after her. Not for a long while, at least.

She sped upward toward the empty window where Ira stood watching for her.

--

He paced in front of the window, fretting over what to do next. _Stay and wait? Follow like she said? Go alert Master Burke? No... I should wait a while... then maybe follow... but where? _He contemplated and puzzled and pondered and mused over what in the Force to do next. Ira stared out at the inky black world below him and worked up his nerve. _If my master tells me to follow then I suppose I should follow. It's probably a test if anything. She's testing how much I trust her. How much **do** I trust her? She was removed from the Council because they thought she was a Sith... she could be. She's an impossible thing... she could be anything... _He swallowed his doubts and stepped onto the sill and looked down at the city below. He pulled on his cloak, clamped his eyes shut and spread out his arms.

He jumped.

--

"Here he comes," L'anyn muttered to herself as she aligned the speeder with her free-falling padawan.

He landed in the back seat lightly after cushioning his fall with the Force.

"So you do trust me," L'anyn shouted over the roar of the traffic, "It's good to see you again, Ira. I was beginning to think you weren't coming!"

"Nah. I was on my way," he replied coolly, "I just had to pull on the old cowl. It's chilly out."

"That it is," she chuckled, turning the speeder toward a modestly-sized Naboo-style bistro, "Dinner's on me."

They pulled toward a garage beside the establishment and eased into a small parking space. L'anyn jumped up out of the cockput and began walking at a brisk pace toward the platform that led to the designated institution. Ira jogged to catch up with her, straightening his tunic and cloak.

"So, what are we doing here?" he asked, slowing to a walk after catching up with his mentor, "Protecting peace, justice, the common good, etcetera?"

"That's work for security guards, my young padawan," L'anyn pushed open the door and stepped into the eatery, "We're simply here to chat and have dinner."

"Right," Ira replied suspiciously, "So it's undercover work, then."

"No!" she laughed out loud, "We're just here to chat."

"Gotcha," he said with a wink.

"Ira Solaris, clean will be your thoughts of your new mentor," L'anyn reminded him jokingly, "I see that twinkle in your eye, young one."

"Hey, I can't help it if you're relatively attractive and I'm and impressionable young man," he shrugged and slipped into a booth, waving over a server.

"What's that supposed to mean, 'relatively attractive'?" she asked indignantly.

"Nothing, M'lady," Ira smiled and turned to the waitress who'd arrived at their table, "We'll have two of whatever the chef's specialty is."

"Wotcha want to drink?" the waitress asked, tapping the toe of her boot on the sparkling floor.

"Er, Jawa juice for me and the lady," Ira said with a curt nod.

"Sure thing, mate," she turned on her heel and walked off toward the kitchen.

"So, what're we here to 'chat' about?" Ira rested his chin on his hand casually, gazing at his mentor with extreme interest hidden behind mild curiousity.

"Your training," L'anyn replied, glancing around the relatively empty bistro. There was no one she recognized, hence no one who'd recognize her. "How much did you learn from Master Vorschen?"

"Well, you know, the basics," he shrugged, "Basic saber skills, calling upon the Force, using the Force, controlling the Force. You know- the basics."

"Hmm. We'll have to work on everything then," she sighed and pushed up her left sleeve to reveal an intricately designed mechanical arm band. She examined it closely and ran a finger over a dial in the center. It whirred and hummed then turned two full circles and stopped silent. "Made by Ithorians," she explained when she noticed Ira's intent gaze upon the itme, "I fried and shattered my entire forearm while fising the navicomputer on one of the Ithorian starships on its way to Hoth. They were able to salvage most of my hand but had to replace my forearm and added a few upgrades. They're a brilliant bunch; it's amazing how well they work with metal."

"Ithorians?" Ira raised his eyebrows in surprise, "You've flown with Ithorians?"

"Yeah," L'anyn noticed that the two drinks had been delivered to the table at some point in their conversation. She lifted her glass and took a sip of the cool sweet liquid. "Ithorians, Mon Calamari, Wookies, Sullustans, Dugg-- what would be the plural of 'Dugg'... Duggs? Duggi? Just 'Dugg'?... anyway, I've been around."

Ira sat back in his seat, amazed.

"You going to be okay, kid?" she asked, waving a hand in front of him, "You look a little star-struck."

"Two specials," announced the waitress upon her return. she set down two plates in front of them and walked away without a backward glance.

Ira gulped and looked down at his food, smelling the intensely rich aroma wafting up from the platter. "Looks tasty."

L'anyn nodded and picked up a fork, "Bon Appetite."

"Huh?" he looked up from the forkful of food that had made its way halfway to his mouth. The food fell from the utensil and landed with a splat amidst the rest of his meal.

"_Bon Appetite_. Picked it up on a mission with the Mon Calamari," L'anyn explained then took a bite of the aromatic fish on the plate before her.

"Are we gonna get to--"

"What? Fly with Mon Calamari?" she asked after swallowing the mouthful she'd been chewing thoughtfully, "I don't know. Whatever Master Burke and the Council need us to do, we'll do it. But I doubt that'll include anything important. The Counci doesn't exactly trust me with their outside affairs. I'm no ambassador for the Jedi anymore. Those days are long gone."

"You don't look _that_ old," Ira commented after getting a successful forkful of fish into his mouth and down his throat, "I mean, from the way you talk, it sounds like you've got several decades of experience, but you only look twenty."

"Looks can be deceiving, young one," she replied with an impish smile, "Must I remind you that I'm an impossible thing?"

"Don't remind me," Ira sighed and returned his gaze to his food, still disappointed about his inability to sense his own master with the Force... and missing his old master.

"Don't let it get you down, Ira," L'anyn reached out and touched his forearm, "You're not the only one who misses him."

He looked up at her and pulled his arm away then stood up from the booth and walked out the door, his cloak billowing out behind him.

"Damn," she muttered as she tossed a few credit chips on the space between the two plates and jogged out the door, searching for her apprentice with the Force.

_There you are_ she found him trying to hotwire the speeder she'd selected for their outing. _You can't do it, young one. I've locked the controls... only I can start that speeder. _She chuckled to herslef and pulled up the hood of her cloak, hiding her vibrant ginger hair and shadowing her features. _Let's see just how clever you are, Ira Solaris. You can't run away from me. You may have escaped your immanent demis on the night of Master Vorschen Tsornighara's fall, but you cannot escape me, young one. _She heard her words echo through his mind and was satisfied with the effect they had on her apprentice's mental stability. He was growing panicked and jumpy. He couldn't understand how she was projecting herself into his mind yet remaining completely invisible in the Force. L'anyn laughed to herself and continued toward the garage.

"Ira!" she called into the dark parking area, and was satisfied to hear a yelp that she knew to be his. "I'm coming to find you, padawan of mine. We need to finish our little chat, young one."

"I-I can't do this anymore!" he shouted form the speeder's open cockpit, "I'm not ready for this!"

"Ira, what is _this_?" L'anyn called to him as she neared the vehicle, "What are you talking about?"

Two red lightsabers ignited right in front of L'anyn, who'd sensed the movement of Ira from the speeder toward herself.

"Why do you have _two _red sabers?" he asked accusingly, "Only Sith carry red. Everyone knows that. Maybe Sanreth was right. You _are_ Sith!"

"No, Ira, I'm not," she said sternly, "I am a Jedi Master, why would I be Sith?"

"You're in disguise!"

"No. I'm not," she softened her voice, trying to sooth the terrified and confused Ira Solaris, "I got those from the Sith Lord who murdered Master Vorschen. You saw it yourself- they were twin blades that cut down your master. Twin. Red. Blades."

The lightsabers de-illuminated and Ira dropped to his knees, breathing heavily. He dropped the sabers and covered his face with his shaking hands. he sobbed silently, his chest heaving.

"Oh, Ira," L'anyn whimpered, crouching down beside her apprentice and wrapping her arms around him, "There's so much you have yet to learn."

--

A/N: is anyone even reading this? R&R --lexx


	5. Bonding Time

**Chapter Four- Bonding Time**

* * *

"Requesting permission to enter the chambers of the Lady L'anyn Oumarin," Ira's finger quivered on the intercom button that he was pressing.

"Identify," replied an electronic voice.

"Apprentice Ira Solaris," he said, steadying his voice so as not to betray his nervousness.

"Enter."

The doors slid open, revealing a lavish sitting room and a hall that led to an even more extravagant bed chamber. A bronze protocol droid was hurrying down the hall toward the bedroom.

"And I thought Jedi were supposed the prefer more modest accomodations," Ira commented to himself as he stepped into the living space of his master.

He sat down on a chaise lounge and attempted to relax his verves while waiting for L'anyn to be alerted to his presence by her droid. He took a deep breath and once again tried to reach out and sense her in his mind, but to no prevail. His master remained unperceivable. He sighed and opened his eyes.

There she sat. The Lady L'anyn Oumarin was reclining on the divan in front of Ira's chaise.

"How can I help you, padawan?" she asked, brushing her hair back away from her face with the her fingertips. She noticed the dark, tired circles under his eyes and his weary stature. "Couldn't sleep?"

"Yes, ma'am," Ira replied with a nod.

"Bad dreams?" she leaned forward toward Ira with a concerned look on her pleasant features, "Master Vorschen's death is still haunting you, young one?"

He nodded again and looked down at his scuffed up brown boots.

"Ira, you must learn to let go," L'anyn reached out and touched his arm gently, "Master Vorschen knew the consequences of his actions. He died saving you, Ira. All he wanted was for _you_ to live a full life. He'd lived his and was only trying to help others live theirs to the fullest. Lingering on his death makes his death worthless. If you don't get out there and live, then Master Vorschen has died in vain."

Ira nodded and sighed.

"Shall we take the day off?" she offered, trying to meet his eyes, "Have a walk around the gardens?"

He looked up at her and gave her a weak smile, "Yes, ma'am. That would be nice."

--

"M'lady, please permit me to ask you a personal question," Ira requested formally as they entered the botanic garden in the courtyard between the wings of the Jedi temple.

"Sure, Ira," L'anyn nodded as she picked her way along the path between the tall, serene trees and the flowering plants that spread across the walkway. They'd all been transplanted from an Ithorian ship that she'd ridden across half the galaxy in. She'd traded precious stones and metal and had leant her help to their technicians, and in return they'd given her clippings of her favorite flora.

"Last night you said that you'd been brought up blind to the Force, without any knowledge of your abilities," Ira said looking up at a bird that soared within the glass citadel of the temple. "How could you have absolutely no knowledge of the Force? I thought that everyone had at least some connection with it, some ability to use it."

"My parents were both Force adept and could have been brilliant Jedi, but I was brought up in a dark time for the Jedi Council, as were they," she explained, "My parents thought it best to keep me from the living Force for as long as possible so as to lessen the chances of me being found out by the Sith. They were making house calls those days, plucking children from their homes as soon as any ability to use the Force srufaced. They were preparing to overthrow the Council with a sort of 'inside-man', if you get my meaning. They hoped to infiltrate the temples across the galaxy and destroy the entire Council from the inside out. As you can see, it didn't exactly work."

"But how could you not _feel_ the Force?" Ira persisted, "Everyone can _feel_ it at least a little bit."

"I was dosed with something that suspended the life-cycle of the metichloreans in my blood, which completely severed my connection with the living Force," L'anyn continued, "When I ran away from home at fourteen, the metichloreans woke up and went to work. I found myself able to move things just thinking about them, accidentally stumbling into peoples' minds, all the things that an extremely adept padawan would do. That's how Master Vorschen found me. he was visiting Hoth in search of some Sith lair that the Council had gotten a tip about and found me instead. Apparently I'd simply caused enough of a disturbance with my 'accidents' that word had gotten back to the Council here on Coruscant, and they'd assumed the worst being no one could sense me."

"Then Master Vorschen brought you here and asked to train you even though you were much too old, right?" Ira asked knowingly. _Same thing happened with me. Of course, I was only eleven... that was so long ago..._

"Exactly right," L'anyn grinned, reaching her delicate fingers out to brush an extravagant violet-red blossom's fragile petals. "He'd insisted that I be taught in the ways of a true Jedi to save me from the Dark Side, which would've ruined me for sure. Had I been seduced by some Sith Lord, I surely would've fallen. I hadn't the knowledge to know the deiiference between Dark and Light- Sith and Jedi. Who knows what would've happened."

"Lady L'anyn!" called Allyah, Master Burke's Twi'lek attendant, running down the path toward them. She stopped and curtsied to L'anyn. "M'lady, my Master Burke requests you attendance at today's Council meeting. He would like you to bring along your apprentice as well. They have an assignment for you both."

"Yes, thank you, Allyah," L'anyn bowed politely and smiled, "Please inform your Master Burke that Ira and I will be in attendance this afternoon for the meeting."

"Yes, M'lady," Allyah bowed her head again and hurried back toward the temple.

"Looks like we have plans for today after all," L'anyn turned back to Ira and grinned, "You get your first real assignment."

Ira nodded and smiled, "I wonder what it'll be."

"Probably just escorting the Chancellor or something," L'anyn shrugged casually and continued to walk through the garden.

"Maybe we have to go free slaves on Tatooine, or obliterate ice monsters on Hoth, or fight for peace and justice on Endor, or even protect the queen on Naboo," Ira gushed, obviously hoping for an exciting mission.

"Ira, calm yourself," L'anyn laughed lightly and beckoned him toward her, "You'll disturb the tranquility of the gardens with such violent thoughts."

"Yes, ma'am," he bit his lip and tried to clear his mind of violence and excitement. He thought of the waterfalls of Naboo and the forests of the Mother Jungle of Ithor and the stunning setting suns on Tatooine. He sighed and found himself perfectly calm.

"Good," L'anyn congratulated him softly, closing her own eyes to clear her mind of everything.

"When do the Council meetings begin?" Ira asked quizzically, wrenching L'anyn from her silence.

"Padawan of mine, must you be so impatient?" she questioned him with a laugh, "I suppose we can head back to the training chamber so you can work off some of your steam."

"Yes, ma'am," he grinned and followed his master obediently back to the temple.

--

A/N: R&R as always! --lexx


	6. The First Assignment

Chapter Five- The First Assignment

**Chapter Five- The First Assignment**

"Lady Oumarin, escort the Chancellor to the Queen's palace on Naboo you and your padawan must," Master Burke said with an authoritative and level voice, "There you will report and check-in at the temple on Naboo. Inform you of your next duty will we then."

"Yes, master," L'anyn bobbed her head, elbowing her padawan to remind him to do the same.

"Now go you to the Chancellor's private hangar for the flight to prepare," he told them, motioning to the door, "Leave this evening you must."

"Yes, master," L'anyn bowed to the Council and turned to walk out the door, tugging Ira's sleeve to make him follow, "Come along, young one."

Once outside of the chambers, Ira pulled away from L'anyn and crossed his arms, "We're _escorts_? You said that--"

"I said that we would probably be doing exactly that," L'anyn reminded him sternly, "I told you that we would most likely be escorting the Chancellor. It was you that had the visions of blood and glory. You're too young, Ira. I know you're used to being 'too old', but in this instance you _are_ too young."

"But I'm _ready_ for battle, L'anyn," Ira protested, "I've got the passion to make up for inexperience."

"Ira, _passion_ leads to love, which leads to _hate_, which then leads to what?" she raised an eyebrow.

"Suffering," Ira looked down at the floor and scowled.

"And where does that lead?"

"The easy way out… the Dark Side," he admitted.

"More brilliant Jedi are lost in battle than to the Dark Side," L'anyn told him gently, "And with that sort of passion, both of them will destroy you before you've any experience at all."

"Yes, ma'am," Ira nodded and returned his gaze to meet his mentor's, "I apologize, ma'am."

"Now, let's go meet the Chancellor," L'anyn's eyes brightened as she spoke, "I'm sure he can't wait to meet you."

Ira smiled and followed L'anyn as she stepped quickly down the corridor toward the door out of the Jedi Temple and into the wide world and city of Coruscant.


	7. L'n'I Escort Service

Chapter Six- L-n-I Escort Service

**Chapter Six- L-n-I Escort Service**

"_That's_ the Chancellor's ship?" Ira asked skeptically, pointing to a small skiff that hardly looked fit for space travel, much less fit for the Chancellor's extravagant taste.

"No, Ira, _that_ is the Chancellor's ship," L'anyn corrected him, pointing to the much larger ship sitting just behind the skiff. It was silver and streamlined, almost like a Nubian class C-13, but a bit smaller and much gaudier. "Come along, Ira, the Chancellor is waiting."

--

"Good evening, Lady Oumarin," the aged Chancellor Tyrne stood up from his seat and approached the two Jedi, "I apologize for any inconvenience that I've caused in my request, but the star-ways just don't feel safe anymore. Not since they found that hive on Dantooine, anyway."

"Your Excellency, it's no inconvenience at all, sir," L'anyn curtsied slightly and beamed, "It's been a long time since I was last on this ship. Tell me, sir, who's piloting it now?"

"Jacen Solo the third," stated a young man as he stepped into the cabin from the cockpit, "At your service, m'lady."

"Solo?" L'anyn's eyebrows shot up, "As in Han and Leia Solo?"

"The very same," he replied with pride.

"Hmm… let me guess," L'anyn touched her forefinger to her lip pensively and raised an eyebrow, "You think you're the very end of their line, correct?"

"That's right, ma'am," Jacen said with a nod, "Though others have told me that there was another."

"Well, the 'others' were right," she held her head high with as much pride as Jacen.

"Wait… _you_?" his eyes grew wide, "Y-you're the other Solo?"

"Well, yes and no," L'anyn crossed her arms, "I'm from the line of Solo, however my mother took my father's name and passed that on to me. I'm L'anyn Oumarin."

His jaw dropped.

"Sorry to break up the family reunion, master," Ira tapped L'anyn on the shoulder, "But shouldn't we be gracing the skies with the Chancellor's presence?"

"Right you are," Jacen charged from the room and back to the cockpit to begin preflight procedures.

"He seems a nice fellow," the Chancellor commented, referring to Jacen, as he sat back down, "Smart, quick, sometimes he seems almost able to see what's going to happen next- a skill that I've heard is quite unique to Jedi."

"Well, he _is_ a Solo," L'anyn shrugged noncommittally then smiled, "It'd be in his blood."

Ira snickered at the small pun.

"L'anyn, you've not introduced your padawan," Chancellor Tyrne motioned to Ira.

"Oh, yes, of course, my apologies, sir," L'anyn nudged Ira forward, "Chancellor Tyrne, this is my latest padawan, Ira Solaris."

"He seems a bit old for a new padawan," the Chancellor raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"He's new for me, sir, but he's been training for the last eight years with Master Vorschen."

"Ah, yes," the Chancellor nodded, "I heard of Master Vorschen's fall. It was most depressing. He was a good friend of mine. And your previous master, correct?"

"Yes sir," L'anyn nodded and took her seat as the ship began to raise into the air.

"Well, I'll be expecting great things from this youth, then," Tyrne grinned and settled in for the flight to Naboo.


	8. On the Road Again

Chapter Seven- On the Road Again

**Chapter Seven**- **On the Road Again**

"Ira, we're not here for sight seeing!" L'anyn reminded her padawan, who'd been begging for permission to pay the queen a visit as well as the monuments built to honor the Skywalker and Solo families which had been placed at the center of the royal gardens, "We need to go to the temple and rendezvous with Master Schorn. We're already late as it is- there's no need to waste more time dawdling about the tourist attractions."

"But--"

"No," L'anyn turned and began quickly striding toward the temple which stood in the shadow of the palace that they'd just exited, "We'll be back later- you can pay your respects to the Skywalkers and the queen then."

"Yes, ma'am," Ira nodded and hung his head as he followed his master obediently, "As you wish."

--

"That's right… run, run, run as fast as you can, Kamyra," the Sith lord chuckled to himself from behind a large emerald-leafed shrubbery as he watched the redhead lead her auburn-haired apprentice toward the Jedi temple, "You can't escape the Order."

The ginger-haired woman glanced over her shoulder and winked to him, proof that she'd received his message. He nodded and spun away from the pair and headed back to his speeder.

--

L'anyn stumbled forward and clutched her forehead, a pained yelp escaping her lips. She leaned upon a maroon pillar, her chest heaving.

"Are you okay, m'lady?" Ira put a hand on her shoulder to help steady her, "What's wrong?"

She righted herself and adjusted her tan tunic then ran a hand through her disheveled hair and took a breath, "Fine, fine. I just… felt a tremor in the Force… something I've not felt since--" her voice trailed off as she looked out into the distance, a misty look overtaking her sparkling blue-green eyes. She shook off the expression and continued to press forward, "It's nothing. Let's keep going. The sooner we get there the better."

"But, L'anyn," Ira followed her, a concerned look gracing his features, "Are you sure you're okay? Is there something we should be worried about?"

"No, it's nothing," she shook her head, "Except--"

"Except _what_, Master?" Ira furrowed his brows, his voice expressing his concern, "What's wrong?"

"It's just that--" she wouldn't tell him. She'd keep him waiting until the opportune moment. The game was fun and very much afoot. "We'd better hurry or I'm afraid we'll miss our chance to speak with Master Schorn."

"Of course, ma'am," Ira nodded and continued following her down the glassy marbled corridor, "As you wish."

--

_Is it time, Kamyra? Is your apprentice yet worthy of the task we've laid for him? _

_No, Orkaan, the time is not yet here. But Ira Solaris is indeed prepared for the task. I shall see to the fulfillment of the prophecy long before the Council ever notices where my true allegiances lie. _

_He doesn't look ready… and he certainly doesn't act ready. However, the Order trusts your judgment as much as the Council does, if not more._

_You're so reassuring, Orkaan. Just you wait until you have to face Ira-- then you'll see how well I've trained him. Just you wait and see._

_I suppose we'll all be waiting with baited breath to see just how well you've trained this one. We've all been a bit wary of your mentoring abilities since your failure with the last one._

_What about __**your**__ last apprentice? How did __**that**__ turn out? She nearly murdered you in your sleep. The only reason you're alive now is because of __**me**__. _

_And for that, I thank you, Kamyra. I owe you my life- though you're certainly never going to get it._

_I would expect no more, Orkaan. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a Jedi to corrupt._

_I'll leave you to it, then. Check in with the Order as soon as possible. The Master wishes to speak with you on the topic of your next assignment._

_Give Him my best and tell Him I wish Him the best of luck with the negotiations on Tatooine. _

_As you wish, m'lady._

--

"M'lady, are you all right?" Ira touched L'anyn's shoulder, his expression once again that of a very worried student, "You seemed far away during the Council meeting and hardly paid Master Schorn any attention during the evening meal."

"I'm fine," she waved him away nonchalantly as she strode heavily toward the ship she'd selected from the Chancellor's private hangar, "I've just got a lot on my mind right now."

"Is there anything I can do?" he asked, following her obediently, "Anything at all?"

"Well--" she paused and thought about the task that had been laid before her by both the Council and the Order. _When do I tell him? Orkaan thinks he's completely prepared… and our training's only just begun._ She shook her head and continued toward the Corellia cargo freighter. "I'll tell you some other time."

"Yes, ma'am," he nodded and followed her into the large and battle-worn ship, "She doesn't look like much."

"Yeah, but she's got it where it counts," L'anyn stepped gingerly down the corridor that led to the cockpit, "This was my great-grandmother's ship… it belonged to Han Solo before her. The _Millennium Falcon_ is her name. Best ship in the whole galaxy."

"You can't be serious," Ira cocked a skeptical eyebrow as he surveyed the incredibly modest ship, "_This_ heap is the _Falcon_?"

"Watch your mouth, kid," L'anyn spun on her heel and glared at Ira, "She could push point-two past lightspeed in Han's day… with my upgrades on her she goes _twice_ the speed of light and then some. She can outrun _any_ ship any time any place."

"No need to sound so defensive, Master," Ira shrugged and slumped into the co-pilot's place and wiggled uncomfortably in the spacious seat, "This chair feels like it was designed for a Wookie."

"Hmm…" L'anyn feigned pondering the statement then shot back matter-of-factly, "Maybe that's because great-great-granddad's co-pilot _was_ a Wookie."

"Yes, ma'am," Ira sighed and settled back for the flight back to Coruscant. He was sorely disappointed by his trip to Naboo and his new assignment from the Council. _Babysitting the princess… work for local security droids and royal bodyguards… what do they need Jedi for?_

_Padawan, you've only just begun your work as a Jedi Knight… you've not even passed the test yet. You're still too young and inexperienced for any_ real _assignments._ L'anyn inserted her mental chiding directly into Ira's frustrated mind. _Enjoy the easy work while you get it. Once the Council sees your true potential, they'll be sending you to scout out the Dark Hives that have been settling on the planets of the Outer Rim and shipping you off to destroy the Sith training academies that have managed to take the place of some of the Jedi temples on some worlds._

_But, L'anyn, babysitting isn't work for Jedi…_ he thought back, crossing his arms and glaring at his mentor. _We_ should _be scouting out Hives and Sith academies. Why can't we?_

L'anyn sighed and flipped on the autopilot then stood up from her seat and exited the cockpit, leaving in her wake a cold, empty feeling that seemed to suck every bit of youthful ambition from Ira. He sighed as well and followed her out, his head hung dejectedly.

"I'm sorry," he whispered as he watched L'anyn sink into a thinly cushioned chair beside a catering droid. "I didn't mean to question your authority… nor did I mean to question the authority of the Coun--"

"Don't worry about it," she shook her head and took a drink from the droid, then sipped pensively while rubbing her temple with the tips of two delicate fingers, "It's only natural. Don't fight it. Allow your inquisitiveness to guide you through our time together."

Ira nodded and took the seat beside his mentor.

"Ira, I need to ask you a question," L'anyn set her drink down and sat forward in her seat, "Why do you want to be a Jedi?"

"Because… I… I… well… you know… it's just… because…" he stuttered then fell silent, deep in thought. _Why do I want this? I want to protect the galaxy. I want to be someone… someone that people can love and appreciate as a hero… someone who always does the right thing… I want power… I want… security…_

"You just want the novelty of the thing, don't you?" she raised her eyebrows knowingly, "You would make a perfect Sith, young one."

"Not me," he shook his head resolutely, "I will _never_ be a Sith."

"What if it was the only way to save someone you love?" L'anyn asked, thinking of her own past, "If it was the only way to gain the power to save your love's life- to give life to that person- would you do it? Would you fall to the Darkside simply to save the life of another?"

Ira sat back, stunned. He didn't know how to answer. He didn't know what to think. He'd never thought that falling from the Light would be a possible necessity. He'd never considered loving anyone for that matter. He tried to imagine the sort of person he would be willing to sacrifice himself for and found that the only person he would ever consider dying for was already dead… then again, there was the person seated before him. He often felt closer to the Lady L'anyn than he'd ever felt with any other person before. She knew him better than he knew himself. She was the only person he could ever sacrifice himself for.

"Ira, I have a proposition for you."


	9. From the Inside Out

Chapter Eight- From the Inside Out

**Chapter Eight- From the Inside Out**

"You want me to do _what_?!" Ira leapt up from his chair, his chest heaving, "I can't believe you! First you claim that you're Jedi through-and-through, then you go and ask me to do _that_?!"

"Ira, calm down," L'anyn reached a hand out to his shoulder as she stood up calmly, "It's not like I'm asking you to run around and murder younglings. I simply asked you to find a man called Orkaan and tell him you are ready for the test. He's a friend of mine and--"

"Orkaan… _Darth_ Orkaan! You call _him_ a friend of yours?! What sort of company do you keep, L'anyn?! Fraternizing with the DARKSIDE!" he sneered and fled the room, heading straight for his private quarters, "I'll never trust you again!"

L'anyn grinned slightly and settled back into her seat then sighed. "I think that went rather well, don't you, Prastii?"

A dark-haired Wookie stepped out of the medbay and took Ira's empty seat and growled quietly. "Rrraaaaa, nyaaaagh, rarrr."

"That's right, we're right on schedule," L'anyn reclined in her chair and let her eyes close slowly, "It's only a matter of time."

"Rrrrrragh," Prastii nodded and stood up then left the room, returning to his private quarters.

"Life is good," L'anyn whispered as she rose then stretched and walked to the cockpit for the remainder of the trip.

--

"What do I do now?!" Ira fumed as he paced his bed chamber furiously, "My master's got ties to the Darkside… and she's practically asking me to join her! Maybe Sanreth had it all figured out… maybe it was L'anyn that murdered him, not that Sith Lord- Darth Kamyra- that everyone's been whispering about. She probably just made up Darth Kamyra to cover for her own rage… unless…"

The door to his room slid open, revealing a dark-haired Wookie bearing a frighteningly large bowcaster. He growled and motioned for Ira to follow him.

Ira's eyes grew wide as he slowly stood up and stepped out the door hesitantly. The Wookie shoved him forward and jammed the bowcaster against his back, causing all the hairs on the back of his neck to stand on end. Ira gulped and walked toward the cockpit; fear, rage, and confusion mixing into a lethal combination as he watched a hooded and shadowed figure rise from the pilot's seat and approach him and the Wookie.

She laughed musically and held a lightsaber out to Ira, her cold gray eyes glowing from beneath her heavy, black cowl. "Come along, young one, come and meet your master."

"Darth Kamyra," Ira glowered, snatching the lightsaber from her and extending the lethal green blade, "You murdered Sanreth… I cannot forgive you for that."

"The little boy is so clever," she snickered, "How did you learn my name? Surely you did not read my mind. No Jedi could do that and live with himself. That is a skill for Sith Lords _only_. However, the Lady Oumarin has taught you the trick well, no doubt."

"But she--" he stuttered, trying to wrap his mind around exactly what was going on.

"She cannot help her mind wandering into others," the Sith laughed again, "It's just the way she is."

"You speak of her as though you know her," Ira clenched his jaw and began circling the cloaked figure warily, "How do you know her?"

"That's simple, Ira Solaris," she threw back her hood and grinned maliciously then reached for her twin sabers, which were concealed in the folds of her heavy cloak, "She's me."

Ira charged, his emerald blade leading him to his mentor's chest, "You've chosen the wrong Jedi to corrupt, L'anyn."

"Ah, but the corruption hasn't even begun, padawan of mine," L'anyn stepped to the side, evading Ira's glowing saber. Her twin crimson blades flashed toward Ira, slicing his green saber in thirds. "Green is so unbecoming of you, Ira. Now, grovel at my feet, if you don't mind."

He fell to his knees and looked up at her, still clutching the smoldering and broken hilt of his destroyed saber. His lip quivered ever so slightly as he watched everything around him continue in slow-motion. L'anyn put a foot to his chest and shoved him backwards so he was lying on his back, propped up on his elbows. She walked one circle around him, making a gesture to the Wookie, who took aim and fired a small charge, hitting Ira squarely in the chest. He choked and fell back.

"I think you put a bit much power into your stun bolts," L'anyn commented as she examined Ira carefully. She opened his burnt sienna-brown tunic, revealing his chiseled torso. The energy bolt had left a deep burn that spider-webbed across his heaving chest. "That's going to scar. He's got his first battle wound. Go make sure that's all the lasting damage there's going to be. The Master won't be happy if we've ruined this one."

Prastii nodded and growled then lifted up the young Jedi and carried him to the medbay.

--

_Has the day come?_

_Patience, Orkaan. The full extent of this operation has only just begun. He'll be on your doorstep by the end of this week… if you even last through this week. _

_Why does it take you so long to corrupt such a young and simple mind, Kamyra?_

_This one's mind isn't nearly as simple as yours, Orkaan. I believe he will be able to outwit you easily._

_No padawan can outwit me._

_Your pride will lead you to your fall._

_And your ignorance will lead you to yours, Kamyra._

_We shall see._

_I suppose we shall._

--

"Master Burke, it has been too long," L'anyn grinned to the holographic Jedi standing on the projector before her, "How may I be of assistance, sir?"

"Prepared for the test, the council believes your padawan is," replied the aged master, "Immediately to Coruscant will you both return for the examination to prepare yourselves."

"Yes sir," she nodded and turned in her seat to face her student, "Ira, we're going back to Coruscant for your trial before the Council. Prepare yourself, young one."

"Yes, master," replied Ira placidly.

"We'll be back soon, sir," L'anyn beamed and switched off the projector, then swiveled her seat around to face Ira, who was seated beside her. "Feeling better?"

"Yes ma'am," Ira nodded with a slightly pained smile, "My head still hurts a little, though."

"Mm-hm," she reached a hand out and touched his forehead gingerly with the tips of her fingers. Her eyelids slid shut and her brows furrowed as she concentrated on relieving the pain from the memory wipe she'd administered the night previous. She lifted her hand and sat back from Ira, whose face had relaxed into a gentle grin. "That should do it."

"Thank you, ma'am," he nodded in appreciation.

"Don't mention it," she turned back to the controls to prepare for their descent onto Coruscant.


	10. The Jig Is Up

Chapter Nine- The Jig is Up

**Chapter Nine- The Jig is Up**

"Tell me again, my apprentice, how long has it been since my fall?" asked the crackling voice of the hunched and hooded figure as it stood up from the smoking prism.

"Er… over a hundred years, Master," stuttered Orkaan as he fell to his knees before the aged dark lord, "Nearly one hundred and fifty, my lord."

"Goooood," He chuckled hoarsely and lifted a withered hand into the air, making a fist.

Orkaan slowly rose into the air, of the Master's accord, and felt his throat tighten as though he was being choked. He gasped and tore at his neck in an attempt to remove the vice-like grip from his throat, though there was nothing to rend from his windpipe other than his own flesh. A spasm shot through his spine as his sight began to blur and fade. All he could hear was the malicious cackling of the Dark Lord he had restored to life. The grip was released and he fell to the floor in a heap of black material and limp flesh. He had served his purpose- there was no longer any use for him. The Master turned and left the chamber, sealing the door behind Him.

The Emperor had been restored to power. No longer would He rule over an empire, however. He'd claimed mastery over the entirety of the Universe. Now He was the Master of All. He had no need for such useless humans as Darth Orkaan- at least not for long. He would complete the fulfillment of the prophecy with His new apprentice- Darth Kamyra.

--

"Yes!" shouted L'anyn as she sat bolt upright in her lavish bed. Her chest was heaving and she was drenched in sweat. The dream had been so real… it _was_ real. She knew it was real. The Master had told her that it was going to happen, and so it had. Orkaan was dead at the hand of the newly risen Master and she- L'anyn Oumarin- was his new personal apprentice. She couldn't be happier.

Her TC-13-2 unit bustled into the room, alerted by the sound of her shout.

"The Lady is all right?" it asked metallically as it checked the room for intruders.

"I'm fine, 13. Thank you," L'anyn rose from her bed and stretched, "Just a dream."

"The Lady is all right," The droid nodded mechanically and left the room as quickly as it had entered.

"Stupid heap of metal," she muttered while combing out her long ginger locks then pulled on her tunic and robes and left the room. "I could get a rancor to stand guard over my bedchamber and sleep with more peace than with that thing."

"The Lady had a guest this morning," the droid informed her while pouring a cup of hot spice-water and setting it on the table as L'anyn took a seat before her morning meal, "But I sent him away because of the absurdness of the hour and the Lady's need for more sleep than she has been getting since her return from Naboo."

"You stupid heap of metal!" L'anyn shouted, throwing the cup to the ground and leapt up from the table, "Who was it? What did he have to tell me?"

"The Lady's visitor was the padawan Ira Solaris," replied TC-13-2, "He simply wanted to speak with the Lady about a bad dream he'd had and was hoping you might aid him in the removal of cranial pains, so I sent him to the medbay. Though, he did say something about the side-affects of a memory wipe, as well."

"You better be glad I don't give _you_ a memory wipe, you stupid droid!" L'anyn stormed out of her quarters and down the corridor toward the training room that she'd reserved for her day of training with Ira before the trials.

--

"A disturbance in the Force, I have sensed," Master Burke muttered to Allyah, "Master Lady L'anyn Oumarin to me you will bring, as well as the apprentice Ira Solaris."

"Yes master," nodded the young Twi'lek as she turned on her heel and stepped out of the chamber.

"Shrouded in darkness, her padawan is," he whispered as he sat down to meditate, "Question his mentor about this, I must."

--

"L'anyn, you wiped my memory!" Ira shouted accusingly upon L'anyn's arrival in the training room, "You practically asked me to join the Darkside, then you sent a Wookie after me, then you attacked me and wiped my memory! That's why I've been having all these headaches for the past two weeks!"

L'anyn stopped dead in her tracks, a stunned look plastered on her gentle features. "Wha--?"

"Don't feign innocence, _Darth Kamyra_!" he shouted, "I _remember_. You wiped my memory, but it all came back in my dreams. Your droid sent me to the medbay for my headache, so I went there… and do you know what the medical technician found? Scarring from the forced entry of a mind-probe used for memory extraction. You tried to make it all go away… but you failed."

"Ira, where are you getting these ideas from? Is this what you and your friends have been whispering about in the halls? My dark alias, Kamyra?" she fell back against the wall and held her forehead, a cry escaping her lips, "Is this what it has come to? My own apprentice accusing me of being allied with the Darkside?"

"You _are_ allied with the Darkside!" he glowered, approaching her, a new lightsaber in hand, "You and that Wookie… you're in this together. You're trying to destroy the Council from the inside! Everything that you've been accused of in the past five years is true!"

Tears flowed freely down L'anyn's cheeks, her shoulders shaking with her sobs. She covered her face with her hands and slid down the wall onto the floor and hugged her knees to her, rocking back and forth. "My own apprentice… has… turned on… m-me!"

"Quit trying to make me pity you, L'anyn," Ira sneered, "It's not going to work. You've lost my trust and won my hate."

Her head snapped up at the sound of the word 'hate'. She wore a cruel grin, and there was a cold glint in her suddenly steel-gray eyes. "Hate, you say? How wonderful… simply marvelous. Ira, you truly are ready for the trials of the Order. We leave tonight."

"I'm not going anywhere with you, _Kamyra_," he growled, glaring at her with all the hate he could muster, "You're not fit to be the mentor of anyone but an aspiring Sith-- which I am _not_."

"You say this now, Ira," she stood up slowly as her eyes reverted to their usual blue-green hue, "But tonight, you _will_ go to the Order's Cloister of Trials and you _will_ complete the task set before you-- and it will be of your own accord."

"You're only fooling yourself," Ira replied firmly and flipped on his latest saber- a violet blade extending from the finely crafted gold hilt, "I'll never join you and your Order. This ends _now_."

"As you wish," she smiled calmly and pulled out her silver-hilted azure saber then took her dueling stance.

--

"Master, the Lady is not in her quarters and her protocol droid, TC-13-2, says she stormed out rather early in the morning after having a fit of some sort," Allyah returned to the chamber in which Master Burke was meditating, "The droid seemed to express some concern for the mental health of her master, the Lady Oumarin."

"Quite unpleasant this turn of events is," Master Burke commented from his seat on the ground, "Look into the Lady's activities we must."

"Yes, master," Allyah turned and began to leave the room once again, planning to visit the training room reserved for the mentor and padawan in question.

"Allyah, please, a moment," Burke stood up from the floor and beckoned the young girl back, "Investigate with the greatest delicacy we must. Fragile is the relationship between master and apprentice. Ruin the bond between the Lady Oumarin and Ira Solaris we must not."

"Yes, master," she nodded curtly and continued out the door.

--

"L'anyn," Ira panted, his back pressed into a corner; his front faced with L'anyn's sapphire blade and his own violet, which had been removed from his grasps rather forcefully, "Kill me now, because I will _never_ join you."

"Why should I kill you now, Ira?" she asked, stepping away from him and switching off both the blades, "You'll only regret the decision tomorrow, and then it'll be too late."

"I will _never_ join the Darkside," he stepped slowly out of the corner, still wary of his mentor's saber skills, but feeling much braver nonetheless, "I'm fighting against the evil and scum of the universe, not joining it."

"Ira, it all depends on your perspective of the situation," she explained coolly, "For example: to a Dark Sith Lord, the Jedi are the evil scum of the universe and that's what they're fighting against. Then, on the opposite side of the spectrum, you've got the Jedi, who are fighting the Sith whom they consider to be the scourge of all creation. Then, smack in the middle, you have bounty hunters who simply go where the money is."

"Then what are you, L'anyn?" Ira asked, his curiosity finally getting the better of him, "If you're neither Jedi nor Sith, what are you?"

"I am, simply put, one part of something much greater. I may be invisible to everyone, but I _am_ important in this universe," she smiled almost smugly, "You might even say I play a pivotal role in the existence of _everything_."

"Right, because that's not conceited," Ira managed not to laugh at the vanity of his mentor, "Not conceited at all."

L'anyn shrugged casually, "I know my place in the universe- that's all there is to it."

"Master Lady L'anyn Oumarin, Master Burke requests your immediate attendance in his private meditation chamber," Allyah burst into the room, completely out of breath, "He would like to speak to you and the apprentice Ira Solaris."

"Of course, Allyah," L'anyn nodded and motioned for Ira to follow her, "Come along, Ira. No need to keep Master Burke waiting like you did Master Schorn."

"Yes… _master_," Ira replied through gritted teeth and followed dutifully.

--

(A/N: Okay, this was a rather long chapter, so let me remind you of a few things: the Master is the Emperor- aka Darth Sidious/Senator Palpatine- who has been reincarnated by his loyal servant Darth Orkaan. He killed Orkaan because he was a weak minded fool and would have been useless to the Master's plans.)


	11. The Master's War

Chapter Ten-The Master's War

**Chapter Ten-The Master's War**

"I am your Master."

The entire army of fifty-thousand snapped to attention and retorted in unison. "You are our Master."

"Goooooood," the Master of All put out a hoary-white and withered hand, separating the ranks so he could walk between to inspect them all. The clones were perfect in every way, so he'd been informed while on Camino. They were based upon the Emperor's favorite padawan, Anakin Skywalker, but had been stripped of the heart and soul that made Anakin who and what he was.

"General KOR-E," He called out in His thin, crackling voice, which seemed to boom throughout the enormous facility, "Front and center."

The dubbed clone ran forward and came to an abrupt halt before the Master and saluted Him dutifully, "Yes, sir!"

"Take your troops to the sanctuary moon of Endor," was the command given, "There you will find a rather expired Imperial base. You and your troops will restore it to working order and alert me when you are finished. This is of the utmost importance and the entire universe is dependant upon its timely restitution."

"Yes, sir!" the general saluted the Master again then turned and motioned for his troupe to follow him to the hangar.

"Captain TODD."

"Yes, sir!" the next selected clone stepped forward, gloved fingertips against his brow in a starched salute.

"You will take half of the armed force to the Academy on Tatooine, where you will be enforcing the law of the Order upon the gangsters of the world. Make sure to crush _any_ rebellion into the dust," the Master ordered, "We don't want this to end up like last time."

--

"Master Lady L'anyn Oumarin, sir," Allyah presented L'anyn and Ira to Master Burke, "And her associated apprentice, Ira Solaris."

"Thank you, Allyah," Master Burke stood up from the floor and welcomed his guests warmly while motioning for Allyah to leave them. "Good it is to see you back home on Coruscant, Lady Oumarin. How went the watching of Princess Ammyla?"

"It went very well, master," L'anyn sat down on the ground beside the small, elderly Jedi's raised seat, "I believe young Ira learned that 'babysitting' isn't merely a job for local security and royal bodyguards. Isn't that right, Ira?"

He nodded simply and took a seat on one of the pads that circled around Master Burke's central cushion.

"Good this is," the Jedi nodded as well, but his smile quickly faded. "Depressing is the business which I have brought you here to discuss. A dark presence many Jedi have sensed about your padawan, Lady Oumarin. Troublesome this thought is."

"That it is," L'anyn furrowed her brows, her entire face mirroring the Jedi Master's expression, "What sort of 'dark presence', if you don't mind my asking?"

"Dabbling in the Darkside many believe he is," was the solemn reply, "And untrustworthy the both of you have proven yourselves to be in the past. Trust you I do, however, Lady Oumarin."

"Master Burke, I know there have been whispers of my disloyalty to the Council, and that I can live with," L'anyn stated, "But what I can't stand is when gossipers bring my own apprentice into the mix. He's done nothing to prove himself untrustworthy while under my supervision; and if he has, then so help me he will receive the proper discipline from _me_."

"Trust you, I do, Lady Oumarin," he reminded her, "But sensed the presence have I myself. Unsettling it is, and disappointing as well, after the last one especially. Good fortune you have not, Lady Oumarin."

"I understand, Master Burke," L'anyn nodded, "What would you like us to do, then? Being apparenly we've both been labeled as potential threats to the Council, where do we go? I'll not join a Hive on the Outer Rim, nor will I go to one of those slaughter houses the Sith call their 'Academies'. What are _we_ supposed to do?"

"Master Burke!" Allyah stormed into the room, fear stricken green eyes glistening brightly, "An army of twenty-five thousand troops has just landed on Tatooine and has been enforcing some form of military rule upon the Hutts. A war has broken out between the two and many of our own Jedi have died in the crossfire. What do we do, master?"

"Calm must you be, Allyah," Master Burke raised his hand, calming Allyah's fretting mind, "Lady Oumarin, Ira Solaris, later will we discuss your predicament. A war we have on our hands, and I know not who is behind it. This must we find out before a tactical approach may be made toward the situation."

"Master, _I_ can fight!" Ira jumped up from his seat, straightening his spine and throwing his shoulders back, his hand raising to his brow in a firm salute, "I will aid in the defense against this attack. We _must_ do something!"

"Sit down, Ira," L'anyn set him back down with a gentle Force push, "You're much too young and inexperienced. You'll stay here with the rest of the younglings and I will go with Master Burke to Tatooine to investigate this predicament."

"But, m'lady, I want to go with you! I _want_ to help!"

"You would be a detriment to the mission as opposed to an asset," she replied severely, "You _will _stay here with the younglings."

"But--!"

"No, Ira!" L'anyn's eyes flashed steel-gray for a moment, reminding Ira of her true colors, "_You will stay here with the younglings_."

He crossed his arms and sighed angrily, "Yes, _master_."

"Very good," L'anyn turned away from the padawan and knelt down to Master Burke's level, "What must we do, Master Burke?"

"To Tatooine we will go. Find out more about this army we must," he replied and began to walk toward the door, "A suspicion I have, but positive I am not."

"To Tatooine, then," L'anyn nodded curtly and followed the small Jedi master out; Allyah pursued them both.

--

"Master, the troops are in place and have begun enforcing military law," Captain TODD informed his superior's holo-image, "There has been little rebellion, however a few Jedi have gotten in the way, but we put them down where they belong."

"Good, good," the Master nodded, "We just need to be sure that the rest of the Council does not follow them. I'm sure both the Council at Coruscant and Naboo will have plenty on their hands to worry about already; this operation will pass by them unnoticed. I have foreseen it."

"Yes, sir," TODD saluted the Master then switched off the projection. He turned to the sergeant standing behind him and raised an eyebrow slightly, "Have we located the craft's point of origin, 83-22?"

"No, captain," unit 83-22 replied, "The vessel is unmarked and its trajectory and purpose are unknown. The technical units are working to figure it out, but so far as we can tell, the thing doesn't even exist. All of our instruments read it as empty space-- as though it were not even there. Light simply falls into it as do radio waves and all forms of other radiation. It just doesn't exist. It's not affected by anything. We can't even feel it. You can touch the surface, but you don't feel it, sir."

"The Master is not going to like this when he finds out," Captain TODD sighed and grabbed his red and black-striped helmet from the desk on which the holo-projector was placed, and then motioned for unit 83-22 to put on his own black helmet. "He is not going to like it at all."

"But that's only _if_ He finds out, sir," 83-22 reminded the captain.

"He _will_, believe me, He will," TODD stepped swiftly out of the bunker and into the harsh Tatooine sunlight. "The only question is '_when_'."

--

"Why don't they trust me?!" Ira shouted, hurling an inactive remote at the window of the training chamber. The translucent sheet of plasti-glass shattered then mended itself after the spherical training tool had exited its proximity. "I can fight! It's all because of L'anyn! Master Vorschen would have me fighting on the front-line right alongside him. He died and now no one trusts me because of L'anyn. She's got the Council targeting _me_ as a Sith! She's the dark one… not me!"

Another remote hurtled across the room, this time smashing into the wall; decimated plasteel and sparks shot out from the point of impact. He felt better- but only slightly. Rage still burned within him. Anger. Hatred. Passion. He shook his head clear of the emotions, remembering his early lessons about the different trails to the Darkside. Any one of his emotions, if it went unchecked for too long, could lead him down the path toward the Darkside that his own master had followed. _His_ master. She was destroying him. That _woman_ was destroying his entire life! And he couldn't do a thing about it. Why? Because _she_ was invisible and invincible. He couldn't stand-up against her; couldn't hold his own against her. The fury boiled up inside him once again, and this time… This time…

He welcomed it.

--


	12. A Change in Attitude

Chapter Eleven Chapter Eleven

"Master Burke?" Lady L'anyn knocked lightly on her master's chamber door before gently opening it, "Master Burke, I was wondering if I could speak with you for a moment?"

"Enter you may, Lady Oumarin," Burke nodded and beckoned her in, "Troubling you, something is?"

"Master, I'm concerned for Ira," she admitted as she sat down beside the small Jedi, "Sometimes it's just a subconscious twitch, a choice of words, his tone of voice even. He worries me. Sometimes he even terrifies me. I just… I don't know what to do at this point. Do you have any idea about what the Council plans to do with him?"

"The Council's plan I know not," he shook his head sorrowfully, "But worried I am for both you and your apprentice. Troubling he has become since the untimely death of Master Vorschen."

"That's why, you know," L'anyn nodded her head slowly, recalling Ira's troubled and gruesome memory of the slaughtering of his mentor, "He had to watch as that creature butchered Master Vorschen. He feels that it's his duty to avenge Master Vorschen's death. Although, I dare not say I feel any different. However, I know how to harness my emotions and use them as an asset of my own. His emotions are detrimental to him."

"Detrimental can be your own emotions as well, young Lady Oumarin," Burke reminded her, "Believe you not that you have much more wisdom in dealing with these matters. Experience you have, but wisdom you have not. Deal with you both the Council will."

"Then is there no way for us to redeem ourselves, master?"

"Your second offence this is, Lady Oumarin," he stated plainly, "Facing harsher repercussions you will be. Not sure of the outcome am I. Many different ways it could go."

--

"L'anyn Oumarin! You destroyed me, L'anyn!" Ira shouted at the sliding door of his master's private quarters, hurling a bottle of questionable liquids into the plasteel portal, "I wanted to be a true respectable _Jedi_! Not some Sith apprentice of yours! I'm ruined because of you!"

The door slid open, revealing his mentor's bronze protocol droid, its stiff metal hands on its equally stiff metal hips. He shouldered past the mechanical watchdog, rolling his eyes, which now glowed saffron-yellow and were rimmed in scarlet.

"The Lady is not here," the droid stated as it chased Ira down the hall toward L'anyn's private bedchamber, "When the Lady is not present, no one is allowed in her personal quarters."

"It's all good," he Force shoved the droid into the wall with a sneer and continued into his master's innermost sanctum, "The Lady and I have some business that I need to take care of."

--

Master Burke shuddered as he sensed a Dark shadow move through the temple, first destroying the contents of a training chamber, then he moved on to Lady Oumarin's own bedchamber. Master Burke was unable to see exactly what Ira was doing, but he knew it had to be violent and uncouth based merely on the fact that the padawan was young and burning with rage. Burke shook his head and looked up at L'anyn, "Especially troubling your padawan is."

"And yet, predictable," L'anyn commented as she watched her apprentice search through her bedchamber. _Ira_ her thought echoed through to him, catching him by surprise. _Ira, what do you think you're doing?_ She suddenly felt something completely different pass over Ira. He was not the young man she had left behind. This was a completely different being-- a Sith lord's apprentice. She smiled to herself and continued watch him tear her room apart in his search for what ever it was that he _needed_ to find. _Ira, you don't even know what you're looking for._

_I'm looking for proof, Kamyra._

She was taken aback by his sudden response as it intruded upon her mind. _Ira, you've completely lost yourself as you were. I applaud you._

_Hey, this is all your fault, Kamyra. You don't mind me calling you Kamyra, do you?_

She laughed, surprising Master Burke. "Don't worry, sir. He's simply succumbed to his own rage. Something that I'm sure I shall be forced to do very soon." She pulled up the hood of her long, flowing cloak, casting a heavy shadow over her eyes. "Have no fear, sir, I'll be nice to Allyah." _Ira, remember what I told you about killing younglings? You can start with the group in the dining hall._

"Misjudged you I have," Burke hung his head, "Disappointing this is."

_Kamyra, you said you would not ask me to do such a thing._

_Ira, I told you that I was not asking you to do such a thing at that time._ "Master Burke, surely you are not so naïve as to expect me to be confined by the rules of your Council. I mean, did you _really_ believe, deep down, that you had changed me somehow?"

"Hoped I had that changed you were," he admitted, drawing out a small lightsaber, "But surprised I am not."

"So you're trying to say that you saw this coming?" L'anyn raised her eyebrows and scoffed, "You know nothing of the way I work." _Ira, you will do as I have told you, or else I will make your life more miserable than I am going to make Master Burke's._

"True this may be," he unsheathed his short blue lightsaber and began circling around L'anyn, "But expected it myself as the Council did."

_L'anyn, you disgust me._

_But you love me._ She grinned broadly and revealed her crimson sabers, moving faster than Master Burke could follow. Her attack removed him of his hands and sliced his lightsaber in half. "Normally, I would tell the victim to kneel so that I can remove him of the rest of his life, however, Master Burke, I just can't bring myself to ask you to kneel. I'd have to bend down to do you any damage!" she laughed and raised the Jedi into the air with the Force, holding him firmly in place just inches below the ceiling. "Oh, look. It's the first time in your life you've ever had the chance to look _down_ on something."

"Vain you have become… and disappointed I am," Burke glowered, glaring down at Kamyra, "Tainted are both you and Ira. Fall will you both. Unable will you be to return to the Light."

"Look, you're going to die now," Kamyra sneered, "Not because you've done anything wrong… but because you irritate me. I spent ten years listening to your so-called 'words of wisdom'… ten years wasted! I could have been someone in this universe! Instead I got stuck here with _you_. Master Vorschen understood me… but even he had his time to die. Everyone dies, Master Burke."

_Kamyra, why didn't you tell me you killed him? You said there had to be trust between us. Why didn't you tell me? I trusted you!_

_Ira… what is trust? It's an illusion of safety. Don't trust anyone. Question everything. It's the only way._ She slashed the Jedi master across his chest and dropped him to the floor, grinding her heel into his back. "Such a disappointment. Such a pity."

--

"Master Lady L'anyn Oumarin sent me," Ira growled to the dining hall attendant who was watching the youngest class of younglings as they ate, "She wanted me to take over for you."

"I don't care who sent you," the attendant raised an eyebrow and sneered at Ira slightly, "I'm not abandoning my post for _Master Lady L'anyn Oumarin's_ latest muck-up. Master Burke could've sent you himself and I still wouldn't leave you in charge of these children."

"Then I shall have to take the hold by force," Ira seemed to move in slow motion as he spun and threw a kick to the attendant's jaw, knocking his face into the wall behind him. The boy fell to the floor unconscious. Ira stamped his boot heel into the back of his head, grinding the youth's face into the ground. He snickered and moved onto the younglings. "Children, I've come to play."

"Master Ira," the nearest young girl stepped up to him, carrying a cup of some sort of juice, "My cup has a leak."

"Let me just fix that for you," he smiled then took the small cup and concentrated on the dynamics of it, forcing the leak shut. He handed the glass back to the young girl then patted her back and sent her back to her seat.

"You!" a petite and tormented-looking woman screamed across the hall, pointing to Ira, "You've been tainted! Corrupted! You've been destroyed by _her_!"

"Silence! I'll kill you, Karla!" he retaliated with a growl, whipping out his lightsaber, "I really will. Don't even push me. I'm here for the younglings-- but I'll remove you if I must."

"You don't have the guts," she sneered, levitating toward him quickly, drawing out her green lightsaber, "You couldn't kill anyone. Not even to save your own life."

He leapt into the air, sending a well-aimed kick to her abdomen, knocking her out of the air and onto the cold, hard floor. "I warned you."

He moved quickly to the center of the room, pulling out a set of frag-charges, which he set upon a pillar and primed for detonation. _Kamyra… this better work. I don't want to murder them by hand… I just can't._

_Ira, I love you for your youth and boyish valor. Thank you for doing this while I'm away. We both know that I can't be in two places at once. You could think of this as your initiation. You're doing so very well, Ira. The Master would be proud._

_Please… don't call me Ira… I can't do this and be Ira Solaris. It just doesn't feel right._ He fled the room, not caring to look back at the dozens of children that were about to suffer through the inferno that he had just set to occur. _I've changed… so should my name. You're L'anyn and Darth Kamyra… who am I?_

_My name means something… Karma and Irony… it's a vicious circle, really. It's my reason for life and despair. I am Kamyra. It's who I am. You have to decide who you are for yourself. I can't tell you who you are._

The charges detonated.

--

L'anyn threw her hood back and forced her eyes to return to their natural colour as she retracted her crimson saber blades and tucked them into her robes for easy access. She ran into the common area of the ship where Allyah and several Jedi Knights were seated going over battle plans. She filled her eyes with fear and threw herself to the floor beside the feet of the oldest knight. She burst into tears.

"Lady Oumarin, what's wrong?" the knight asked, kneeling down beside the sobbing master. He put a hand on her shoulder to steady her. "What is it, m'lady?"

"Master Burke!" she cried out, throwing her arms around his neck and wept into his shoulder, "Master Burke is dead!"

All of the Jedi leapt to their feet and gathered around the Lady Oumarin, their faces filled with worry and concern.

"He was _murdered_!" L'anyn's chest was heaving and her entire body was shaking with her sobs. "There's a Sith onboard. I saw it all happen! Oh, how she tortured him! The images will haunt me forever!"

"Where did this Sith go?" asked the knight who was still wrapped in L'anyn's arms, "It's got to still be on the ship. Where could it be?"

"_She_… not 'it'," L'anyn corrected him, rising up from the floor and then, for added measure, a few feet off the ground, "Where is she? Well, the answer is simple. She's standing right behind you."

All ten of the Jedi Knights spun on their heels to look where the Lady was pointing. They had all drawn their lightsabers but found no use for them when they saw that there was nothing behind them.

"Ha! Back here, boys!" Kamyra shouted out after pulling her hood down and taking out both of her sabers, "You should've seen your faces! You were all like 'oh, where's she at?' and then," she had to pause to laugh, "And then, well, here I am!"

"You!" one of them shouted, pointing to her fiercely, "You murdered Master Burke! You're Darth Kamyra!"

"No I'm not!" she laughed and Forced them all back into the wall and closed door that separated them from Master Burke's quarters, "I'm Lady L'anyn Oumarin. Darth Kamyra is simply a shadow, a part of me. She's not truly me, however."

"What?" asked the one, taking care to keep his lightsaber pointing toward the hooded and shadowed character before them all, "What is that supposed to mean? How can you be two people?"

"Well, I'm not literally two people, you see," Kamyra explained, "Not corporeally, anyway. But figuratively, in spirit, I am two separate people. Anyway, this is all immaterial, because you're all about to die and you really don't want to know all about my eccentricities. So… let's go."

Every one of the knights had dropped his guard immensely while listening to Kamyra prate on about herself. The only being in the room with any sense of what Kamyra had just said was cowering behind her own high-back chair at the far end of the room. Poor Allyah was terrified but still maintained her wits. She slunk around the circle of chairs, picking up a fallen vibrosword as she crept up behind the Sith Lady who had crossed her master and murdered him so viciously. She stood up to full height and swung the sword high over her head and brought it down upon the Lady's head, meaning to bury the blade in the redhead's cranium.

Kamyra spun around and knocked the sword from Allyah's hand, cackling all the while. "You foolish little girl! You think this toy could injure me? Foolish girl… as foolish as your master!"

Allyah burst into tears and fell to the floor, cowering at Kamyra's feet, "Please, Lady Oumarin, don't hurt me! Please! I beg of you! I'll do anything you ask of me… just don't hurt me!"

"Please, don't spill your tears on my boots," Kamyra took a step back, "You'll ruin the finely tanned taunton hide. It's not quite completely water-proof and tears really are quite evasive."

The crimson blades slashed across Allyah's petite body, leaving deep smoldering gashes in her midsection and chest. She gasped and fell to the floor. Kamyra spun to face the fearful squadron of Jedi Knights, her silver-gray eyes burning with icy fury.

"Now… who wants to go first?"

--

(end chapter)


	13. Yet another Hiatus

Continuing hiatus posted by on this particular story...

My deepest apologies for the continuing hiatus on this story . My writing laptop is officially a paper weight and has devoured twenty chapters of unposted fanfiction along with a lot of other work. I'll be working my butt off to recover some of the lost work from the recesses of my vast mind, but it may take a very long time... nix that... it **will** take a very long time.

Sorry about constantly doing this; however, I should have some new stories on the way whilst I try to sort out all the rest of my continuing stories. If there's anyone interested in adopting on of the unfinished fanfics, please PM me and we can work out the details.

Fics up for adoption:

Viva Rock Vegas

Tulips

Heart of Gold

I'm also looking for a co-writer for 'Doctor for the Doctor' and the Dr. Who Bloopers. Again, PM me if you're interested.

Thanks for your continuing patience.

Sincerely,

Lexx

PS: Remember: ALWAYS take a banana to a party.


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